More than a century ago, it was common practise for scientists, explorers, relic hunters or anthropologists to take human bones and sacred objects from indigenous groups, usually without permission.

It's estimated that more than one hundred graves in the Kimberley have been robbed this way.

But for the past 10 years, Universities and Museums have been returning these stolen items. Many of them have been stored in boxes for decades in vaults or lain untouched without any research done on them. Others meanwhile have few details attached, such as the location they were taken from. Some just bear the word "Kimberleys" making repatriation to the correct cultural group an impossible task.

There have been some emotional repatriations in recent years to the Kimberley.

However, storage of hundreds of items and human bones has been problematic; in many cases sheds and sea containers are used.

The Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre has two sea containers chock full in Fitzroy Crossing, as it works to return the items to the correct cultural groups.

But those communities don't have proper storage facilities either.

Two places, Bidydanaga and Ardyaloon, are about to build some, thanks to a grant from a large oil and gas company with interests off the Kimberley coast. They'll be air conditioned and humidity controlled storerooms.

Neil Carter is the Repatriation and Cultural Heritage Officer for KALACC. He says it's so important that groups have access to their sacred items again after so long away from traditional country. But having the correct storage was equally concerning; one community lost all their repatriated items after a bushfire swept through.